


Trapeze Swinger

by EllieBear



Series: Evening on the Ground [4]
Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Need to get out of these wet clothes, Shenanigans, Unexpected Visitors, tomfoolery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-25 15:17:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9826142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieBear/pseuds/EllieBear
Summary: Logan escorts Veronica back to her apartment, after the snowstorm.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fun story after all that angst. Hope you enjoy it!

“All bundled up and ready to go?” Logan asked with a smile.

Veronica looked down at her woefully inadequate UGG Boots, then over to Logan’s giant snow boots. Lifting her eyes to his, she tossed the hood of her winter jacket over her head.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Veronica muttered, pulling on her mittens.

They had hoped to leave sooner, but while waiting for Dick to shovel the snow, the two had fallen into conversation again – this time about university – over coffee and muffins, losing all track of time. With no one visiting the café, they talked uninterrupted for more than an hour, until Veronica realized it was almost 7:30 a.m. and she should be getting home.

Logan reached out his thick gloved hand. “At least let me carry your backpack for you. You’ll have better balance out there without it.”

With a sigh, Veronica slid her pack off her shoulder and handed it to Logan. “Thanks. These boots were fine when it was only lightly snowing yesterday morning.”

“UGGs are just glorified slippers,” he joked and adjusted the backpack on himself.

“True," Veronica replied, making her way to the door. With a deep inhale, she pushed the café door open, letting in a blast of snow as she did.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Veronica looked up and down the block. The businesses around Navarro’s Café – the bodega, the dry cleaner, the flower shop – had all shoveled their part of the sidewalk, leaving the entire block clear. Veronica squinted against the light from the street lamps, illuminating the street in the early-morning darkness, to see that the blocks leading to her apartment had not been cleared.

Pointing her red fluffy mitten up the street, she turned to Logan. “I’m three blocks that way.”

“Towards the warehouses?” he asked, stepping up next to her and adjusting his hood against the wind.

“Yeah. I’m in one of the renovated lofts. It’s a hole in the wall, but the rent is cheap,” she said, beginning to walk.

Gazing around at the light snow falling against the dark grey sky, Veronica exhaled, watching her breath turn white in the cold morning air. Everything was still, and the sound of their crunching steps echoed down the street. The plows had moved on, just as they were getting ready to go, and a few cars coasted slowly past the high windrows near the road.

She closed her eyes for a second, breathing the cold air in deeply, a feeling of peace washing over her. When was the last time she felt this way? She almost couldn’t remember.

“Flying,” she said out loud, a memory beginning to come into focus.

“What was that?” Logan asked as they paused to cross the street.

Glancing left and right for non-existent cars, they began to walk, maneuvering around the ruts in the road.

“I was just thinking,” she said. “The last time I felt this peaceful was on the plane ride to New York.”

“Freedom,” Logan stated, stopping at the large snow drift in front of them.

Veronica stopped, inches away from him. “Freedom. A second chance. Running away from your problems can be a good thing.”

Logan turned, his lips fixed in a tight line. He already had almost a foot on her height, but in his boots and giant parka, it was like standing next to Paul Bunyan.

“There’s that blissed-out feeling you get when you know you’ve crossed the state line,” he said, his breath hovering near Veronica. “And you realize they can’t hurt you anymore.”

Veronica licked her lips, her mouth opening slightly as her breathing went still. “Yeah,” she whispered, their eyes locking. “Exactly like that.”

Before her brain had a chance to stop her, she raised her mitten up and placed it on Logan’s chest. Even with several layers of clothes between them, Veronica swore it felt like she was touching him skin-to-skin. His gloved hand covered hers and for a moment, they stayed like this, as the winter wind swirled around them.

“We should get going,” Logan spoke softly, making no move to disturb their connection. “Before someone mistakes us for snowmen and plows us down.”

Veronica dropped her hand to her side, her cheeks heating up against the cold air. “Yeah, we should,” she replied.

Turning towards the deep snow once more, Logan groaned. “All this gentrification and no one could hire a guy to come and clean their front walk?”  

The next two blocks were piled high with snow drifts of various sizes, outside the very expensive redeveloped warehouses. Since most of the city was moving slowly that morning, it didn’t look like anyone had even attempted to clear the snow.

Logan heaved his right foot into the snowbank and sunk down all the way to his knee. He planted the other foot and the same thing happened. Pivoting his torso, he glanced at Veronica from behind his big hood.

“I’ll walk first and make a path. You follow in my footsteps. Okay?”

Veronica frowned at the snow. If it was up to his knees then the snow would surely swallow her whole.

“Okay,” she said with a sigh.  "Lead the way."

Taking another step, Logan reached behind him and offered his hand. She grabbed on and flung her foot into the hole he created. A squeal escaped her lips as she sunk into his boot print, all the way up to her thighs. He chuckled and let go of her hand to continue his path. Securing herself on one leg, she flung her other leg into the next hole.

_Like walking on a trapeze,_ she thought. _Just one foot in front of the other and hope you don’t fall._

Traversing the hills, Veronica continued to glance at Logan as he led them through the snow. _How do I feel so safe, so cared for, by someone I just met?_  She thought.   _Is this what it's like, when you meet the person you are meant to be with?  Or am I imagining it all?_

Slowly, the two made it through the first block of snow with no difficulties. On the second block of high snow, they realized it was much deeper than the last. Their pace began to crawl as they trudged through.

Every step, Logan would turn to check on her progress, his brow wrinkled with concern.  She would give him a smile and he would continue to the next step.  

_We're almost home,_ Veronica mused in her head.   _Now what are you going to do with him?  Invite him in?  Tell him how you feel?  Shake hands and thank him for everything before retreating again?  Well, that one had possibilities..._

Lost in her thought, she pulled her leg out of the path and screamed, realizing her boot was left behind in the deep snow. Logan whipped around to see her standing like a flamingo on one leg, trying desperately not to fall over.

“Oh my God!” she giggled as she spread her arms to balance.

Stomping back to her, a wide grin appeared on Logan’s face. “I told you those boots were glorified slippers!”

The laughter that began bubbling up inside of her caused Veronica to teeter. Just as Logan grabbed her hand, she collapsed into the snow, her one leg still buried in a step. Moving sharply to try and catch her, Logan twisted and rolled, landing on his side, right beside her.

For a split second, they looked at each other in horror. Then, a guffaw escaped Logan, causing Veronica's giggles to return. The two lay on the ground, laughing hysterically as Veronica attempted to keep her now unprotected foot raised up in the air and out of the snow. Logan reached his long arm out to grab her ankle to help her.

“I must save the royal foot!” he announced dramatically, a hint of a terrible British accent in his voice. “Don’t let the fair maiden’s foot touch the snow!”

The complete absurdity of his proclamation caused a very un-ladylike snort-laugh to escaping from Veronica. There was a pause as the two made eye contact.

“I’m sorry, m’lady. Improv is not my strong suit,” he declared, in what now sounded like a Scottish accent.  "Neither are accents."

Veronica covered her face with her mittens, as tears ran down her cheeks and her stomach began hurt, from laughing so hard. Peeking from behind her hands, the sight of Logan kneeling, holding her ankle up in the air, just added to her giggling fit.

Logan’s own laughter shook down her leg, his whole body vibrating with hysterics. As their giddiness subsided, he placed her foot on top of her bent knee and crawled to the hole where her boot disappeared.

Plunging his arm down into the snow, he pulled out her boots with an exuberant “Ta da!”

Shuffling back to her, he shook the snow off the boot and slipped it back on her foot.

“I believe this is yours, Princess.”

She dropped her leg and sat upright, landing close to Logan’s face. “My hero.” She teased, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had done. _What is wrong with you?  You just met him and now you're kissing him?_ She chastised herself in her head, her eyes dropping away from him.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “If you didn’t mean it I –”

“No!" she exclaimed, glancing back up at him. “I did mean it.”  Shuffling her mitten across the ground, she placed it over his gloved hand. “Because I like you. Lots.”

“Lots?” Logan replied, a big toothy grin spreading across his cold red face.

“Yeah,” Veronica said, wrinkling her nose. “Lots.”

“Good,” he said, bringing his face closer to hers. “Because I like you too. Lots and lots.”

A deep ache appeared in her belly setting off a wave of tingles through her body. She remembered this feeling from when she was a teenager. Desire. Back in the day, secretly flipping through her mom’s Cosmo magazines with her best friend, Mac, looking for the pictures of half-naked boys. A small gasp escaped her lips in the form of a white cloud as she realized this was one emotion she had never felt with a “real” man. Until now.

“We should keep going,” Logan said, licking his blue lips. “I think my butt has actually frozen off while sitting here.”

Veronica snapped from her thoughts, her eyes trailing down his snow-covered form. Taking inventory of herself, she realized that the snow she was sitting in had in fact, soaked all the way through her clothes and she shivered against the chill.

“Mine too,” she replied, starting to haul herself up from the snow. “Only a half-block more to go.”

Logan hoisted himself up easily and offered his hand to her again. She took it with a smile and adjusted her feet in the snow so she was stable again.

“Then, maybe we can talk about where we go from here?” he asked.

Veronica nodded. “Yes. You should come upstairs so we can talk.”

Raising her mitten to his mouth, Logan kissed the back of it and smiled. “Okay then.”

Releasing her hand, Logan began making deep tracks through the snow towards her building, at a little quicker pace than before.

Veronica followed behind, making sure she didn’t get her foot caught in the snow once more. The quiet street was beginning to show signs of life as people came out of the buildings to investigate the roads. Outside of her apartment, the caretaker was shoveling the sidewalk and he gave her a smile as she and Logan crawled off of the snow pile to walk on the freshly shoveled walk.

They both paused on the stoop to brush the excess snow off their pants and jackets, so they didn’t leave a trail of water all the way up the steps. Veronica nervously fished her keys out of her pocket, almost dropping them as they entered the building.  Climbing the three flights of stairs, butterflies began to dance in her stomach as they walked down the long hallway to her apartment.  She paused at her door and let out a long, cleansing breath.

Logan stopped a few feet away and took off the backpack. “We can talk out here, if you want,” he offered, holding out her backpack to her.

Taking her backpack from him, Veronica flung it over one shoulder. This was it. _It’s now or never_ , she thought.

“Come on in,” she said, turning her attention to unlocking the door, her hand shaking ever so slightly.

A shy smile appeared on her lips, as she turned to Logan.  “Piz left some clothes behind. Sweats and stuff. If you want, you can change into something dry,” she said, glancing between the inside of her apartment and the cute guy in her hallway.

"Maybe we can sit and talk a bit more? That is, if you don’t have to go back to the café right away.”

“Are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. “If you’re not comfortable –”

“I’m positive,” she stated, reaching inside the apartment to turn on the lights. When electricity surged through the dwelling, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Entering the small loft, she kicked off her boots on the rug and walked a few steps to a round bistro table, in the world’s tiniest kitchen, and put her backpack down. Logan entered the room, closing the door behind him, and stopped to take in his surrounding. To the left of him, a few steps, was her unmade bed – an unfurled futon couch – and directly beside the door was a tall chest of drawers.

“I know, it’s not much,” she said, pulling off her jacket and dropping it on the chair. “But there’s a small bedroom over there,” she added, gesturing towards a door by the fridge. “And a bathroom with an actual tub. Although the bedroom was used to store Piz’s instruments and gear, and my tiny desk is in there too.”

Logan nodded and began peeling off his damp jacket, while shuffling out of his boots. “It’s nice. I like the windows,” he commented, nodding to one side of the room.

A tall bank of windows, partially covered by cheap bamboo blinds, reached up to the high ceiling, where a cracked skylight appeared.

Veronica stared up and smiled. “Yeah. I freeze at night, in the winter, but those windows are why I picked this place.  They cast such a beautiful light.  And I love to lay in be and watch the summer rainstorms."

For a moment she stood, gazing at the skylight covered with snow. A brief fantasy of Logan laying next to her while they watched the snow falling gently, through the windows, flashed across her mind.  A shiver ran through her, and she remembered that she was still soaked to the skin.

Walking quickly to the dresser, she opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of men’s sweats and a t-shirt. Holding them out for Logan, she smiled.  “Here. I don’t know if they’ll fit, but at least you won’t turn into a popsicle on the walk home.”

Logan took them and smiled. “Thanks. I think I’m starting to lose feeling in my legs.”

Veronica bit her lip and glanced down at his sopping wet jeans. They were clinging to his legs and her eyes skimmed over every curve and bulge that showed through. Averting her eyes, she gestured towards the door on the other side of the room.

“If you want, you can change in the bathroom,” she said. “I should throw something dry on too.”

This time, she noticed Logan’s eyes cast down the curves of her body, before they trailed back up again.

“Okay,” he murmured. “I’ll be back.”

Taking a step back, he turned and dropped his coat on hers before disappearing into the bathroom. Veronica let out a deep sigh and dug out a pair of yoga pants and a warm sweater to change into. Quickly pulling off her shirt, she threw the big, wooly sweater over her head. It dropped down her thighs and she felt immediately warmed by the cozy wool. She peeled off her wet pants and underwear, opening her lingerie drawer and peering inside. All cotton briefs; not a “sexy” pair in the bunch. Grabbing a pair of black boy-cut panties, she pulled them on under her sweater.

_Logan is probably used to girls with frilly silk underthings_ , she thought. _If this gets serious, I may have to visit a Victoria's Secret at some point._

The click of a key in the doorknob made her jump back, her heart racing as she watched the door open.

A tall, stocky man with shaggy brown hair, and a soul-patch goatee, entered the room. Closing the door quickly, he smiled at her.

“Hey baby! I’m back!” Piz said happily, opening his arms to her.

Veronica’s mouth dropped open. “What? What are you doing here?”

“I was thinking about it and I felt really horrible about things.” Piz began taking off his jacket, tossing it on a hook by the door. “And I know you need me, so I came back.”

Veronica glanced between the bathroom door and Piz. “You left two weeks ago. I haven’t heard from you since. What the hell are you doing here now?”

“Listen, Vee, I just realized that I shouldn’t have left you alone like that,” he replied. “You must have been terrified.”

Veronica took a sharp breath. The first night, after she found the note saying he was leaving, she barricaded the apartment door and slept with all the lights on. The second night, she slept in the dark, under the glow from the skylight. By the third night, she had thrown his pillow on the ground and spread her body out over the entire futon.

“If you were so concerned about my wellbeing, then why did you leave in the first place?” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. She realized her pants were still in her hands and she glanced down at her cold, bare legs, self-consciously.

Piz took a step closer to her and she stepped back until her calf was pressed against the futon frame. Once again, she managed to find herself alone with two men, her anxiety beginning to catch in her chest.

“I needed some space. Some time to think. You know, living with your problem isn’t always easy,” Piz replied. “But I realized that you’re worth it.”

Her anxiety was pushed aside by an anger that charged it’s way up through the her body and climbed out of her mouth.

“I’m not easy to live with?" she spat, her voice filled with venom.  "I supported your unemployed ass!  I killed myself working and going to school so you could ‘focus on your music’.”

“Hey, I do my part around –”

“Get out!” she demanded, pointing towards the door. “I don’t need you. In fact, I’m happy you left! Now I can get on with my life without the past holding me back!”

“Veronica, you don’t know what you’re saying. You know you need me,” Piz said, reaching out to try and touch her shoulder. "You know I keep you safe in this city."

She smacked his hand away with her arm, her hands balling into fists as self-defense moves scrolled through her head. _Do I break his nose?  Or just kick him in the balls?_

“Oh, I think she’s managing pretty good without you, Pez.” Logan’s husky voice floated from behind Veronica.

She glanced over her shoulder and did a double take, her jaw dropping open. Logan stood, leaning in her bathroom doorway, wearing nothing but the sweats she gave him, slung low on his hips. Her eyes fell to the deep indentations of skin outlining his hip bones. This time, she followed the little trail of hair upwards, from the top of the rolled sweats, to his navel, then up his muscular chest where it spread finely across his pecs.

“Who the hell are you?” Piz croaked, his voice raising in an odd high pitch.

“Logan Evans,” he replied, pulling the t-shirt Veronica gave him over his head and walking closer to them, a twisted smirk pulling on his lips. “Nice to meet you.”

Stopping inches from Veronica he smiled down at her. “You want me to get rid of him for you, Princess?”

Veronica had lost her ability to speak. Once again, she became keenly aware that she was only in her underwear and a sweater. Taking a hard swallow of saliva, she pulled her eyes off of Logan and glanced back at Piz.

“No. I think Piz knows he needs to go,” she said, unable to keep a big grin from forming across her face. “You can send me the money for the electric bill once you get it together. M’kay?”

Piz stood, dumbfounded, his eyes bouncing between Veronica and Logan. “Yeah. I’ll do that,” he muttered. Quietly, he grabbed his jacket and began sliding on his boots, still keeping his eyes on them.

Even though he wasn’t touching her, Veronica could feel the heat radiating between her and Logan from inches away. Watching Piz get dressed, she found herself hoping that Logan would put his hands on her somewhere. Her shoulders. Her hips. Pretty much anywhere would do.

Reaching into his pocket, Piz produced his keys. Shaking them at Veronica, he dropped them on top of the dresser. “See you around, then,” he said before turning to open the door.

“By Pez!” Logan sung out from behind Veronica. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“It’s Piz!” he called from the hallway as the door closed in his face.

Veronica let out a long breath, closing her eyes in silent prayer.   _Goodbye Piz.  Goodbye Neptune.  Goodbye past._

“I’m sorry,” Logan said, softly. “The shirtless thing was a bit over the top. My natural instinct is to go for the over-dramatic. Which is why I went into acting.”

Spinning around to face Logan, she smiled warmly. “It was just the right amount of dramatic.”

“Okay,” he said with a chuckle, stepping away from her slightly. “I didn’t want to creep you out. But I also thought he was getting a little…aggressive. And punching him would have been really over the top.”

Veronica shivered, clutching her pants tightly. Was it being half naked with Logan that made her shiver, or was it the cold?

“I…I should finish getting dressed,” she stammered.

With a nod, Logan retreated a few steps to the kitchen area, waving his hands towards the bathroom door. “All my wet clothes are hanging over the curtain rod. Thanks for the sweats – I feel much warmer.”

Veronica’s eyes traveled over his body again. This time she noticed his lack of underwear and a full body blush ran over her skin.  

“I’ll get dressed, and then maybe we can warm up with some tea?” She offered, looking down at her feet, trying to hide her embarrassment.   “Maybe talk a little more about how much we like each other.  And what we should do about it?”

Logan’s eyes cast downward and he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Good,” she replied and shuffled into the bathroom. She leaned against the closed door, covering her mouth with her hands. A little squeal of excitement escaped as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, unable to contain her happiness.

_Alright, Veronica_ , she said to herself, as she took a deep, cleansing breath. _Now what?_

**Author's Note:**

> "Trapeze Swinger" is another song by Iron & Wine (do you sense a trend??)


End file.
